@savoirpair “Pesto makes the ordinary extraordinary” said Mr. Turkey Burger. He’s not lyin’! #turkeyburgers #pesto ♬ Stylish cafe-style BGM - Hiro Hattori
Homemade pesto is one of those special recipes that makes cooking easier for me. I love to have it on hand for weeknight dinners and parties alike – I can use it to make a great salad vinaigrette, pour it over pasta, use it on turkey burgers (as I did here), use it on fish, or make a pesto pasta salad or sandwich. I find it makes everyday items a bit more special and tasty – and is far superior to store bought pesto. This recipe is so easy and the payoff is big…..Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, all I usually have to buy is the fresh basil, which is pretty easy to find in my local supermarket. If you grow your own basil, or know someone with a garden, this recipe is also a great way to use all that basil that accumulates in late summer (Hi Dad! :))
Homemade Pesto Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (can also sub walnuts, or pistacio nuts)
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced.
With the food processor running, slowly dribble in the oil and process the mixture until smooth. Add the cheese, and process very briefly, just long enough to combine. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
Turkey Burger Recipe
For the turkey burgers, I made the turkey burgers as normal on the grill (1 pound of turkey meat divided into four, and pressed into patties, seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.) When these came off the grill, I then added a big dollop of the homemade pesto onto each burger, a slice of ripe hothouse tomato, and a slice of fresh mozzarella (for my play on tomato, pesto, and mozzarella salad/burgers.) I put these into the oven to broil for two minutes, or until the cheese melted. Serve on your favorite burger rolls and enjoy!